Since it has brought about the longest stretch of relative peace since the crisis started in 2014, the UN head is pleading with Yemen’s warring parties to not only extend but also broaden a truce that expires on Sunday (local time).
The Houthi rebels and the internationally recognised government should put the needs of the Yemeni people first and “choose peace for good,” according to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Hans Grundberg, the UN representative for Yemen, issued a stern warning on Wednesday, saying that the possibility of a resumption of hostilities “is real.
The brutal civil war in Yemen broke out in 2014 when the Houthis took control of Sanaa, the nation’s capital, and a large portion of northern Yemen, driving the government into exile. Early in 2015, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia entered the conflict in an effort to reinstate the internationally recognised government.
One of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in history has resulted from the conflict, which over time has evolved into a regional proxy struggle between Iran, which backs the Houthis, and Saudi Arabia, which supports the government. Over 14,500 civilians have been killed out of the more than 150k total.
Beginning on April 2, the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, all parties agreed to the UN-mediated two-month cease-fire.
It has been postponed twice, and Grundberg and the secretary-general have been urging both parties to request an even longer postponement in an effort to kick off talks to settle the crisis.
The Yemeni government and the Houthis have agreed to, and twice renewed, a statewide ceasefire brokered by the UN over the course of the past six months, according to Guterres.
As Sunday’s deadline approached, Guterres pleaded with the parties to extend the truce’s duration and conditions in accordance with a plan made by Grundberg but kept a secret.
The UN proposal, according to government negotiator Nabil Jamel, includes means to pay civil servants in Houthi-held areas and unblock roads in blockaded cities like Taiz.
UN chief calls on warring parties in Yemen to extend the current ceasefire
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